


Unravel

by VulpesVelox



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Parents, Aether Foundation, Altru Inc, Ambition, Breeding, Bullying, Death Threats, Depression, Dubious Morality, Existential Crisis, F/M, Genetic Engineering, Legendary Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon Battle, Pokemon Fanfiction, Pokemon Training, Region Crossover, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-07-15 23:54:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16074029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulpesVelox/pseuds/VulpesVelox
Summary: 10 years have passed since the Altru Tower incident.Caroline, an ambitious student born in Almia, dreams of getting accepted into Celadon University to become an Eevee breeder just like her parents.Shino, her childhood friend, a wayward yet endearing fire type trainer, travels through Johto in hopes of establishing a Pokémon Gym one day.And Ren, the son of Almia's president, whose best and only friend is the Monochrome Umbreon Ghost, keeps trying to figure out how to escape his strict father's grip and to live the life he wishes for.None of them knows that their stories will soon intertwine, and that there's a new threat lingering ...





	1. Chapter 1

Summer had fully arrived in Almia.

All over Vientown, the flowers were in bloom, and the scent of fresh grass was in the air. The cafes were well-frequented, and the Starlies had returned from their passage to Boyle Island, now eagerly hopping up and down the main streets looking for crumbs and other leftovers. Spring had been cold and rainy, so the farmers had already started to fear for their grain harvest, but now there was nothing left that could possibly remind of that unpleasant season.

The sky was clear and blue and the sun was brightly shining down on the lawn, where Eevee was jollily playing with one of the tulips. The small bell around his neck jingled quietly with every movement. It was a hot day, but the crown of our small full-moon maple tree provided just enough shadow. I was munching on Oran berries while watching Eevee and rolled a few in his direction, whistling shortly. He pricked up his long ears, leaped forward and nudged one berry with his paw before making it disappear in his mouth.

“They're good this year, huh”, I said while chewing on another handful.

Eevee nodded cheerfully and quickly ate the other berries still lying in the grass, then curled up next to me. I smiled and gently petted his fur.

I had taken care of the fluffy little Pokémon from the very beginning. My parents were Eevee breeders, and I helped them as much as I could – after all, it was my plan to become a breeder as well eventually. I attended a school of further education for due Pokémon breeders, and wanted to go to Kanto after my graduation to study the biology and anatomy of Eevee and its evolutions at Celadon University. For now, I was on summer break, so I spent most of my time with my parents and the pups at the farm – and of course with my Eevee. On the day of his birth, it had been uncertain whether he would survive or not, but he had turned out to be a fighter, and after lots of nurturing, he now was one of the strongest and healthiest among his siblings. He followed me wherever I went, and I would recognize him in a hoard of a hundred Eevees – not only because his fur shimmered like silver.

My Eevee was a Shiny, due to a rare genetic mutation. Since scientists weren't sure yet what caused the mutation or how to artificially initiate it, the specific breeding of Shinies wasn't possible, so a breeder could ask for quite a high price. However, I had fallen in love with the little silvery ball of fur, and my parents stuck to their traditional ways of breeding, not driven by profit but by the well-being of Pokémon and the harmony between them and their trainers. So I had kept Eevee, and it was one of the best things that had ever happened to me.

I got up when I heard my father calling for me. Apparently, we had a customer. I sighed because for the past weeks, there had been some troublemakers around. Young snobby trainers mocking my parents' traditions and showing off with their own, IV bred and EV trained, evolved Eevees they had gotten from a mass breeder in Kalos. I had seen a Jolteon so slim that you could count its ribs, its head was unusually small, the legs longer and the nose pointier. Its speed was incredible, but my parents and I agreed that it looked neither healthy nor happy. Even though the streamlined body helped with speed, the proportions of that Jolteon simply looked off. And since I knew that the bones of Jolteon were a bit lighter and more fragile than the bones of other Eevee evolutions, the risk of a broken leg was higher as well.

Another youngster had shown us his Flareon, with strangely broad chest and shoulders, and a neck that was even shorter than usual. The coat was a lot thinner, ears and tail shorter. It was obvious that its only purpose was battling. Most of the evolutions I had seen were kept in Luxury Balls, and I was sure it was just another way of showing off. The well-being of the Pokémon had nothing to do with it.

So I was hoping that at least today, we would get customers that hadn't lost their minds. We didn't sell evolved Eevees, as our philosophy was making sure Pokémon and trainer match and put effort into creating a bond. If somebody wanted an evolution, we would sell them an Eevee most suitable, and after a couple of weeks or months, they could come back and purchase an evolution stone. We had a small shop on our farm where we sold Fire, Water and Thunder Stones, as well as Soothe Bells and fragments of Mossy and Icy Rocks, which were hard to find or reach for some trainers. My father had traveled several regions in his younger days, and the idea to sell these fragments additionally to the regular evolution stones had been his.

I walked past the kennels with Eevee on my shoulder, and to the reception. Eevee chirped happily and I smiled as well when I saw that our customer was Shino, a childhood friend of mine who had very soon decided to become a Pokémon trainer. About a year ago, he had picked up an Eevee from our farm and later evolved it into Flareon. Shino loved fire Pokémon, so naturally, his team consisted of only fire types. Professor Elm from Johto had given him his first Pokémon, Cyndaquil, after he had gone there to attend trainer school. His dream was becoming a Gym Leader. The last time I had seen him, Shino had his Flareon, Cyndaquil and Growlithe with him. It had been quite a while, though, and I was glad to see him again.

“Hi Caroline”, Shino greeted. “Eevee! Hey, little guy!”

“Long time no see”, I replied and laughed. “What are you doing here? How's the training?”

Eevee jumped off my shoulder and ran towards Shino, who picked him up and petted him. “Going well”, he said contentedly and turned a little so I could see his satchel. Eight badges were attached to the front. My eyes widened.

“Going _well?_ That's amazing!”, I called. “I can't believe you've made it this quickly!”

Shino smiled modestly. “Me neither. But this little one here helped a lot.” He grabbed one of the Pokéballs on his belt and released his Flareon, which squeaked jollily after seeing me. “She's incredible. I know Flareons are quite tough, but she definitely takes the cake.”

“Yeah?” I bowed down and looked at the vixen. “You hear that? You're incredible.”

The Flareon wagged her tail and squeaked again. _‛_ _Flaaaare_ ~ _’_

Shino and I laughed. Eevee jumped down and the two Pokémon began playing with each other cheerfully. We sat down on the sofa next to the entrance.

“So, what are you doing here?”, I asked. “Aren't you going to try beating the Elite Four? You have all the badges you need now, right?”

Shino reclined his head. “Eh, I dunno. Being a champion would be great and all, but I'd rather be a Gym leader, you know.”

I nodded. “Yeah, right.”

“Johto doesn't have a Fire Gym. It would be great to establish one”, Shino added. “It's a great region. I want to live there, it's much livelier than Almia.” He glanced at me. “No offense.”

“Nah, it's fine”, I answered and grinned. “We're both born here after all. And I get you. I've been to Ecruteak City before, together with my father. He travels there regularly.”

“He does?”

“Yeah. Do you know about the Legendary Beasts?”

Shino nodded. “Sure.”

“There's this ancient myth of the towers of Ecruteak City. One was home of Ho-Oh, the phoenix Pokémon, the other was the residence of Lugia, the guardian of the seas. The tower that Lugia had claimed was one day struck by a lightning and burned to the ground. Lugia fled, but three Pokémon died in the fire.”

Shino nodded again. “And Ho-Oh revived them.”

“Yeah, as three Pokémon we know as the Legendary Beasts – Raikou, Entei and Suicune.”

Shino watched Flareon and Eevee rolling over the floor. “I've heard of this. The Gym Leader of Ecruteak City told me about it. But what does that have to do with your dad?”

“Many believe that the three Pokémon that died were originally Eevee evolutions – Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon. They were the guardians of the tower. Ho-Oh made them divine. To honor them, my father prays at the tower whenever he's there.”

“Wow”, Shino murmured. “I didn't know that. Your dad really puts heart and soul into his job. I barely know anyone who's that humble.”

“Me neither”, I said. “But he simply has a good rapport with Pokémon. The pups love him.”

“No wonder”, Shino replied. “Oh, right!”, he added after a short pause, “Speaking of pups!”

He got up and grabbed my hand to pull me outside. Eevee and Flareon jumped up and followed after us.

“Woah, hey!”, I called, “What's going on now?”

Shino grinned and held up a Pokéball with a little paw-shaped sticker on it. I recognized it – it was the one he kept Growlithe in.

“Have a look”, he said enthusiastically and threw the ball in the air. It opened and released a bright stream of light that took shape – a big shape – strong legs, paws, bushy tail, muzzle – it wasn't a Growlithe. It was way too big.

“Wow!”

A large canine Pokémon stood there in front of me, about six feet in height, with a happy grin on its face. Shino had evolved Growlithe into Arcanine. I was amazed.

“Oh my gosh, look at you!”, I uttered and flung my arms around the canine's fluffy neck. “You've grown so much!”

Arcanine barked several times in excitement, and licked my cheek. His tail was wagging a mile a minute. Shino laughed. “He's a big puppy now.”

“A big, big puppy”, I said and scratched Arcanine's ears. “He's gotten even fluffier!”

“He sure has”, Shino said, “But the best thing is he can carry me.”

“No wonder you managed to travel that fast.”

Arcanine barked again when he saw my father approaching.

“Aah, Shino”, he said with a smile. “Good to see you again. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. I was at the office, that's why I sent Caroline. We've been having some unpleasant customers lately.”

“Right, and that's _exactly_ why he sent _me”_ , I whispered towards Shino, jokingly.

“Unpleasant customers?”, he asked, without really reacting to my joke.

“Yes, unfortunately”, my father explained. “Only interested in winning. I don't want to give away our Eevees to such people. They are reckless, and they don't know how to care for a Pokémon.” He petted Arcanine's fur gently and smiled again. “But I can tell you've been taking good care of yours.”

Shino nodded in response. “I know what you mean, though. I've encountered a few trainers of that kind. It's a shame.”

“Shino got all eight badges”, I called, still excited. “Isn't that awesome?”

“Is that true?” A surprised look went over my father's face. Surprised, and somewhat approving. He had always thought quite poorly of Pokémon battles, which was also a reason why he never gave away an Eevee to someone he didn't trust in. He didn't refuse to sell them to trainers, nonetheless, but if someone was too interested in profit and too little in the health of their Pokémon, our farm wasn't the place to get an Eevee from. Shino, however, proved to be a perfect example of a successful trainer who still took sufficient care of his team. Perhaps this was why my father liked him that much. He never pushed his Pokémon too far, and yet they were strong and well trained. He would make a really good Gym leader indeed.

Shino nodded with a modest smile.

“You have my respect”, my father said.

“I couldn't have done it without her”, Shino said and picked up his Flareon. “You simply raise the best Eevees!”

My father smiled happily when he saw the little orange Pokémon, and stepped closer to pet it. “That is nice to hear. It's always reassuring to know the pups are in good hands. I assume you are going for the Johto League?”

“No”, Shino replied. “I thought about it, but I'd rather establish a Fire Gym.”

Again, my father looked surprised. As for me, I was impressed how easily Shino took on life. He had it all planned out and he kept striving for his goals. It wasn't like I didn't have any plans – in fact, I had everything planned out as well – but something about Shino still made me envious, yet in a good way. He helped me with staying ambitious.

“A Gym”, my father repeated. “Quite a big goal.”

“I'd have to look for a training school first, of course”, Shino said, “I heard that some Gyms also offer internships.”

“Back to school, huh.” I grinned.

“Yeah, I guess”, he answered with a smirk. “Fun, fun.”

Shino and I both were more doers than learners. But I didn't mind studying as long as the subjects were related to practice. Knowing the basic anatomic structures of mammal Pokémon and the medical terms of each by heart was no big deal for me. Becoming a breeder also required plenty of medical knowledge. Shino, though, had never been interested in terms and theory. He hadn't ever had any trouble with grades, but he also had his priorities. For him, it had always been learning by doing.

“Good luck with that, then”, my father said. Then, he asked, “What brings you to Almia? Visiting family?”

“Yeah, and I wanted to stop by here before I go back to Johto. I had to thank you again for Flareon, and the additional Fire Stone.”

My father laughed and looked at Arcanine. “Well, you definitely didn't waste it!”

Arcanine started wagging his tail again when he noticed he was being talked about.

“How much longer are you going to stay?”, I asked while running my hand through the canine's fur. I was hoping to get to spend a little more time with Shino before having to say goodbye. We still had plenty of things to talk about. “Mrs. Winter asked for you the other day. I'm sure she would love to see you again too.”

“Probably a few weeks”, Shino replied and hugged Flareon tightly. “We could use a little vacation, right?”

‛ _Flaareon!_ _’_

“I'm glad”, I said with a smile. “I'm on summer break, anyway, so I have much time. We could go to Pueltown, a new cafe opened there, and they sell amazing ice cream.”

“Sounds good”, Shino answered. “By the way, how is Mrs. Winter doing? And how's Mika?”

“Oh, they're fine as always”, I said. “I met them both quite often when I helped out at Shiver Camp.”

Shiver Camp was a research site in snowy Hia Valley, a remote area located in the north-western part of Almia. Students from my school as well as due Pokémon rangers often spent a couple of weeks there for school internships. Researchers examined Pokémon living in and around the Ice Lake, which was a little more to the north. Sometimes they also had to take care of lost or wounded Pokémon. Mrs. Winter, a caring old lady, lived near the camp in the valley. She was very friendly and sometimes came over to the site to bring tea or self-made éclairs.

The vast majority of Pokémon living in Hia Valley were ice types, but there was also a small pack of Vulpix that had been sighted. Last time I had been there, me and my friend Mika from Ranger school had to rescue a young Vulpix that had slipped and fallen into the cold water of the lake. We had brought it to the camp and looked after it until it was better and could be released again.

Mika and I had been friends for several years, and she had often tried to persuade me to become a ranger, too. I still thought about it occasionally, but I preferred the idea of becoming a breeder. After all, being a ranger could be dangerous at times, and I wanted a profession that provided safety, not only financially.

“Good to hear Mrs. Winter doing well”, Shino said. I don't know if I would like living all by myself when I'm old. Sometimes, I worry about her.”

“She gets lots of support from the camp, though”, my father demurred.

“Murph does the chores for her every week”, I added. “And her house is really close to the camp. She has a companion Growlithe now, too.”

“Oh, that's nice”, Shino replied, obviously relieved. “I've always wondered how she gets her supplies. She can't possibly walk all the way to Pueltown.”

“She used to when she was younger”, my father tossed in. “She is an admirable lady. And I'm sure she would love to see your pup”, he then added and stroked Arcanine's fur again. “I need to get going now, though. It's feeding time and I still have some paper work to do. Caroline, when your mother comes back, please tell her to look after the preemies again. I need to know if they're stable enough for the vaccines.”

“Alright.”

“Shino, it was very nice to see you again. I wish you and your team all the best.” My father shook Shino's hand and then went to the kennels. “And greetings to your parents”, he called over his shoulder before he closed the door.

“I'll tell them”, Shino called back. Then, towards his Arcanine, he said, “Alright, big guy. Time to retreat.” The canine Pokémon woofed shortly, then disappeared inside the Pokéball.

I picked up Eevee. “Nabiki Beach?”, I asked. “Haven't been swimming in a while. We could stop by at your place.”

“Oh yeah”, Shino sighed. “I could really use some cooling right now.”

“Just let me get my swimming stuff”, I said. “Oh, and if you want, you can have some of the Oran berries.” I pointed towards the small garden next to the tulip beds. “They are _amazing_ this year.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Ren was woken up by the sound of somebody violently opening the roller blind of his window. Harsh sunlight suffused the room. Ghost hissed and retreated under the bed.

“Are you going to sleep all day?”, he heard his father say in quite a mocking undertone. “Get up now, it's 2PM.”

Ren screwed up his face and rubbed his eyes. 2PM was way too early for him to get out of bed. He had stayed up until 9 in the morning, spending most of the night at his PC, or roaming the empty lanes of Altru Park together with Ghost. His father was all about discipline, but it had never had any effect on Ren, except for a lot of frustration and defiance.

“Dad, it's summer break”, he murmured without even looking at his father. “I'll sleep whenever I want.” He regretted not having locked the door before sleeping.

“I don't care what you do on campus, but here I expect you to pull yourself together a bit. What will people think?”

“Oh no, the people”, Ren scoffed and turned his back at his father. “I can already see it coming. ‛Son of Almia's president caught sleeping in.’ Your reputation will be ruined. Again.” Adding that last word seemed to enrage his father, because he raised his voice immediately.

“Watch your mouth! I'm the one providing you with an education, I'm the one providing you with a home! So you'd better show some respect!”

Ghost's growl sounded from under the bed.

“You're scaring him”, Ren said without reacting to anything his father had said.

“Then keep him in his ball where he belongs!”

Ren felt a bump. His father had thrown Ghost's Morph Ball at him.

“Get out.” Ren's voice was low, but angry and full of disgust. He wouldn't ever lock Ghost into that brainwashing capsule again. His father saw nothing more in Ghost than a failed experiment, but for Ren, the monochrome Umbreon with fiery, yet gentle amber eyes was a friend. His only friend.

Being the son of Wyatt Hall, president of Almia, was lonely. Ren despised the public life, which was why he avoided it whenever he could. Fortunately, the media never had been very focused on him. Even on campus, there was barely anyone who knew that his father was president. He never mentioned it, either. Ren loved the night, and he loved silence. The obsession with darkness was the only thing he shared with his father.

The boy remained motionless until his father finally left the room, still cussing. Then, he slowly sat up and let the roller blind halfway down again. The Morph Ball rolled off his bed and fell to the floor, and Ren gave it a slight kick that made it disappear somewhere under the desk.

“Stupid thing”, he murmured.

Carefully, he bent over and took a look under his bed. Ghost was still lying down there, his amber eyes were riveted on him. “Hey.” Ren let his hand run over the carpet, encouraging the Pokémon to come out of hiding. “He's gone, Ghost. You can get out of there.”

Still growling quietly, the snow-white Umbreon began to crawl towards him and eventually stuck out his head from under the bed.

“There we go”, Ren said gently and petted him. “He's a pain in the ass, huh.”

Ren hadn't planned on coming home for summer break. Actually, he had wanted to stay on campus, but it was closed over the summer, so the only option left had been returning to his father's mansion. He wished for his own home, yet he was without means. Wyatt Hall was a rich man, but Ren had never gotten his share. His father was convinced that modesty and gratitude could only be taught by making his son work for his own money. Ren attended a side job during the semesters, but it was barely enough to pay the tuition fees. Luckily, the student housings were rent-free. And, more importantly, he could take Ghost with him. To Ren, this meant more than anything else.

“One day he's going to burst a vein or something”, the boy said and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Ghost jumped up and lay down next to him, his head on Ren's stomach. “At least you get me.”

There was a silence. Ren closed his eyes again and let his fingers run through Ghost's fur. It was a calming feeling. Having a Pokémon to care for helped him get through the day. There wasn't much else that kept him going. His father had sent him to Celadon University to study Pokéball mechanics, and it wasn't like it didn't interest him. But he didn't want to become a mechanist. He didn't want to work for Altru Inc. at all. Especially not because his father wanted him to. His father was crazy. He knew it, and ever since Operation Brighton, Almia knew it as well. But nobody wanted to see it. Everyone was just out for profit. That alone justified his father's doings. There was nothing altruistic about Altru Inc.

“Someday, we'll get out of here”, Ren whispered. “Someday soon.” 

 

\-----

 

I quickly shouldered my bag and grabbed a bottle of sunscreen before leaving my room again, then went down the stairs. Eevee jumped after me. A couple of letters were lying on the kitchen table, and I placed a little note next to them to let my mother know about the preemies in case she got home earlier than me.

“Let's go”, I said, and Eevee chirped. Just as I wanted to turn away, I noticed that one of the letters was addressed to me. I picked it up and my heart skipped a beat when I saw that the sender was Celadon. Swiftly, I opened the envelope to read the letter. Was it already a response to my application? Eevee seemed to sense my tension and pushed himself against my legs. 

 

_Dear Ms. Flores,_

_Thank you for your application at Celadon University._

_Please understand that the selection process may take up to three months. We are receiving many applications at this moment and we try hard to answer each of them as soon as possible. However, checking all documents takes time._

_Thank you for your patience._

_Sgd. Sarah Evans_

_Referee_

 

I realized I had held my breath while reading, and exhaled. “Three months, Eevee”, I sighed, looking down at the Pokémon. “Then we'll know if we can go to Kanto.”

‛ _Eeeeeeeeve~’_

“Yeah.” I nodded and cracked a smile. “Sounds doable.”

A little later, Shino and I were lying in the warm sand of the secluded beach near Chicole Village. The cool breeze gently caressed my skin, and far above the ocean, several wild Wingull were circling. The sound of the waves had a calming effect on me.

I had told Shino about the letter, and he had reacted quite sanguinely.

“They just have to accept you”, he had said. “You've got lots of experience and your grades are good, too. Don't worry too much about it. This will work out for sure.”

He was right. I always tended to worry too much about my future, perhaps because I didn't want to disappoint my parents. Both of them had a university degree, my mother even two, as she had studied Pokémon medicine before meeting my father and deciding to become a breeder. They had worked hard to reach their goals, and with that, they also had high expectations of me. Sometimes, this burden made me feel uneasy. But I loved working with Pokémon, and going to Celadon was my dream. It wasn't just that my parents wanted me to follow in their footsteps – I wanted it, too.

“I'll try not to think about it too much”, I replied.

Both of us were silent for a couple of minutes, watching Eevee playing in the wet sand where the waves rolled up and down the shore. He seemed so happy and carefree, and it made me feel happy as well. Eevee never failed to cheer me up, and I was grateful for that.

“Have you ever thought about evolving him?”, Shino eventually asked.

“Actually, no”, I said. The thought seemed strange to me. Eevee had always been Eevee, and I wasn't sure how I would feel about him suddenly being a different Pokémon. “I mean, it's not like there's any need, right?”

“True”, Shino answered. “I was just wondering. I know you don't battle or anything.”

Eevee looked over to us curiously, apparently sensing that the conversation was revolving around him now, but got distracted by a small wave that splashed against him the next second. I had to smile again.

“Eevee and I like it peaceful”, I said.

The sun was at the zenith, so Shino and I decided to get into the water. I put on some sunscreen and also applied some to Eevee's nose, since it was quite sensitive because of the Shiny anomaly. Eevee uttered a few squeaks of protest.

“I _know_ you don't like it”, I tried to appease him. “But we don't want your itsy-bitsy nose to get sunburned, right?” I patted his head. “There we go.”

Shino grinned at me. “You really got a lot in common with your dad.”

“Huh?” I flipped my hair back and got up.

“You just click with Pokémon. And you care so much.”

I felt myself blushing a little, or maybe it was just the sun. “Well, what should I say … I love them.”

“It shows. Just saying.” Shino nodded towards the sea. “Let's go.”

My feet slightly sank into the awash sand as we walked towards the open blue. Cool water surrounded my ankles, and it gave me a tingling sensation. I waded further, until the water reached my thighs, making me shiver. Shino was already ahead of me and threw himself in, causing a huge splash. I shrieked and stepped away, trying to avoid the water drops.

“Don't you dare splashing me!”, I yelled.

Shino laughed, swashing around. “Come on!”

I walked further into the water but couldn't avoid squeaking when a smaller wave hit my belly. I flinched and immediately stopped in my tracks. Meanwhile, Eevee was happily swimming beside me, obviously enjoying the coolness.

“You don't even have to evolve him, he already is half Vaporeon”, Shino joked, watching Eevee swim around him in circles. “Does he still do the thing?”

He picked him up and almost lost his shit when Eevee started paddling in the air, just above the water surface with a slightly confused expression on his face. I immediately burst out into laughter, even though I felt a bit sorry for the clumsy little Pokémon. Eevee had the habit to just start paddling whenever he was held above water, be it the ocean or just the bath tub.

And it never failed to amuse Shino.

“Let him down, he's confused”, I giggled and Shino put Eevee back into the water where he continued dabbling around us.

“I doubt Flareon would have as much fun”, Shino said. “It's not like I could go swimming with her. She really hates water.”

“Tell me about it”, I answered while plunging in as well. “Bathing a Flareon is hell. Or _any_ fire type, really.”

We spent quite some time in the water, simply floating and enjoying the gentle up and down of the waves. A shoal of curious Luvdisc circled us for a while.

Shino had a lot to tell, and I listened. We hadn't seen each other in a year. Much had happened in both of our lives, and we had often just communicated over e-mail during that time, since chatting via mobile data wasn't always possible in some regions of Johto. It bugged me a little that Shino had kept silent about earning all eight badges until our meeting, but I was happy for him nonetheless.

He told me about the landscape, the people, the Pokémon. About the towers of Ecruteak City, the myths revolving around the legendary beasts, the Gym battles, his loss against Clair in Blackthorn City. He told me about new strategies he had made up with his team, and how he had managed to teach Arcanine the electric attack Wild Charge after the evolution, which had ultimately led to his victory after facing Clair a second time. He sounded very excited when he talked about how his Arcanine had defeated her Gyarados. I noticed that even Eevee was listening attentively.

“It was just amazing”, Shino said and sighed euphorically. “The first loss was pretty harsh. But I already had the feeling that the winning streak would come to an end. I felt a bit bad for my team, though. I should have trained them better beforehand.”

“I heard dragon types are quite tough, yeah”, I answered.

“The dragons weren't even the problem”, Shino said. “That Gyarados was just bulky as hell. And, well, water beats fire.”

“Isn't it hard with a fire type team? I mean, generally, with a mono type team?”

“It can be. Of course, you have less type coverage. That was a problem at times. But I found out that my Pokémon could learn a lot more attacks than I knew – quite a variety of types, too. And Arcanine just nailed it.” He grinned confidently. “It was a challenge, but we made it.”

“Yeah, I'm really happy for you. All of you, of course”, I replied.

Shino gently pushed away a Luvdisc that was trying to nibble at his feet. “The water weakness, though. And it's not the only one. Once I'm a gym leader, I definitely want a Volcarona.”

“Volcarona?”

“Yeah, it's a double type. Half bug, half fire. That would cancel out the ice, fire, and water weakness at the same time.”

I was impressed with how much Shino knew about the different Pokémon types. He already sounded like a real professional. And he had probably encountered several Pokémon that I didn't even know of. I felt like my own horizon still had a lot of room for expansion.

“I even heard that the Marowak of the Alola region adopted the fire type and dropped the ground type over time. That's really cool.”

“True!”, I answered, “I actually heard of the type shifts in Alola. Remember the pack of Vulpix in Hia Valley? A vixen had cubs, and one of them actually carries the ice type, like the Vulpix in Alola. Murph said that it was probably the same mutation that led to the Alolan form.”

“Really?!” Shino looked surprised and excited at the same time. “That's awesome! Why didn't you tell me?”

“Hey, who was the one who didn't say a thing about having beaten every single gym in Johto?”

We both laughed.

“Well, I kinda wanted it to be a surprise”, Shino said. “Also, I still can't really believe it.”

He made a short pause. “Can … can we go see the Vulpix?”

I laughed again. “Oh, I knew it!”

“What? I like Vulpix!”

“I have to warn you though”, I said. “It's … _not_ a fire type!”

“No way!” Shino made an exaggeratedly shocked face. “So, that's a yes?”

“I will text Murph about it tonight”, I answered. “The little one was pretty weak, so they took it to Shiver Camp. Professor Hastings said it was a miracle it survived, after all the body temperature of its mother was much higher than what most ice type Pokémon can handle. Needless to say, the mother didn't care for it much, either.”

“Rude.”

“Well, that's nature.”

“Did you give it a name?”

“Yeah, Murph insisted on an Alolan name”, I explained. “So they decided on Nakoa. It means fighter.”

“That's fitting.” Shino nodded. “I actually like the idea of giving Pokémon names. But my team would probably just look at me like I'm a weirdo if I started calling them by names now.”

I chuckled. “Maybe.”

The sun was already starting to set, dipping the sea in warm orange light when we packed our things and finally left the beach. We still talked a lot while walking back to Shino's home, and we stayed on the porch for a whole while, too, just telling each other about what had happened during the last year, about our achievements and experiences. It felt good to catch up at last. Sticking to e-mails just wasn't the same.

I stayed for dinner – Shino's mother had insisted on it – and after another couple of minutes of talking on the doorstep, Shino and I finally said goodbye.

“Don't forget to ask Murph about the Vulpix!”, he called after me.

I smirked. “Don't worry, I won't.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Absentmindedly, Ren was munching on a piece of pizza in front of his PC while scrolling down the MemoRandom newsfeed. Ghost had curled up on his bed and only his ears twitched from time to time, letting Ren know that he wasn't asleep.

“I still don't get the 'social' in social media”, Ren murmured and grabbed another pizza slice. He had signed up on MemoRandom a couple of years ago and used it solely for fighting boredom. Sometimes he actually came across blogs that he found interesting, like the one he had just found  
recently – it was the blog of a girl who used garbage and disposed items to make Pokémon sculptures. A picture of an Umbreon sculpture had caught his attention. Apparently, it had been made of painted newspaper. Or ʻpapier-mâchéʼ, whatever that was. Ren liked the idea of turning trash into art, although he had never thought much about recycling or waste separation before. That blog had somehow changed his point of view a little. However, it wasn't a very active blog – not very popular, either, which kind of surprised Ren – so there weren't any new pictures to browse through.

Ren shut down his PC and took a look outside the window. It was getting dark – his clock told him it was already past eleven. His father was still away, he had said something about a media conference together with some high members of the Æther Foundation. Æther was supposed to monitor the doings of Altru Inc. after the Altru Tower incident, but Ren felt like they did not care as much as they pretended to. Ghost was living proof that most ethics commissions ended in favor of science, not moral. And it bothered Ren that people were so obsessed with profit they didn't care much about anything else, let alone the well-being of Pokémon used for experiments. Altru Inc. had started out with a big lie, and it still was one. He couldn't believe his father hadn't ended up in jail back then. Nor that he was still president.

“Let's go outside, Ghost”, Ren said eventually, casting his thoughts aside. He needed distraction. Ghost chirped and jumped off the bed, then stretched and yawned.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ren ruffled the Umbreon's snow-white fur and slipped into his shoes. He knew that Ghost didn't particularly like being inside, and that he enjoyed the long walks. It probably had to do with his past in the laboratory. But since he was shy, too, taking strolls during the day was not the best idea. Fortunately, Ren didn't mind walking around outside at night. He was more of a night person, anyway. Plus, he would hate having to answer questions about Ghost that people would inevitably ask. On campus, he usually told everyone that Ghost was albino. Most of the time, that was a sufficient answer. And only half of a lie.

Ren grabbed the last piece of pizza and opened the door of his room. It was quiet in the mansion. Mr. Wheeler, Hall's publicist, had left together with the president.

Ghost hopped around in a circle, then scampered along the corridor and towards the stairs that led to the entrance hall. He seemed as excited as always. Ren smiled and followed the white Umbreon downstairs.

_‛Brrrrrrree.’_

Ghost was already waiting in front of the door, impatiently looking at Ren.

“Got a date?”, Ren said with a smirk and opened the heavy front door. Ghost slipped through immediately and started to eagerly sniff the patches of grass and flowers in front of the mansion. Every now and then, he just leaped into the air or ran a few meters at full speed. The sky was clear, so the moonshine let the typical ring pattern on his sides, ears, tail and forehead glow brightly. Unlike other Umbreons, Ghost had no visible rings on his fur – they only appeared when the moon shone on them and made them glow. It was quite an exceptional feature, if only it wasn't due to the changes that had been made to his genome. Fortunately – or unfortunately – Ghost was part of an abandoned project of Altru Inc., a project dealing with new types of Pokéballs, so Ren had been able to keep him and get him out of the laboratory.

After the Altru Tower incident, Altru Inc. had turned from an electricity provider into a research enterprise, focusing on new Pokéball mechanics, the evolution process of Pokémon, and the genetics behind the Shiny anomaly. Experiments concerning the latter were not uncommonly funded by high-class Pokémon breeders. Project Axolotl, which included a series of experiments on whether it was possible to make certain Pokémon evolve which usually only did so under certain circumstances, had been abandoned just recently. Ghost had been the last subject.

Ren knew all about the idea behind Project Axolotl. A new type of Pokéball – the Morph Ball – based on the concept of the Dark Ball that had once been created in order to capture the legendary Pokémon Celebi. Pokémon caught with a Dark Ball would gain immense power and obey any command of their master. Altru Inc. had used this concept as a promising base for the Morph Ball, intending to make Pokémon that only evolved with the help of evolution stones or a certain amount of affection towards their trainer evolve nonetheless once captured. But the project had been a failure. The only Pokémon evolving upon capture had been a Shiny Eevee. The end result – Ghost.

Ghost was a Monochrome. The Monochrome anomaly was even rarer than the Shiny anomaly, as it only occurred once a certain DNA sequence of a Shiny Pokémon was artificially altered during embryonic state – sometimes, the anomaly showed already after birth, and sometimes the phenotype only changed upon evolution. Due to this, there were no wild Monochromes, which separated them from albino Pokémon: all Monochromes were created in laboratories – and, in addition to that, mostly by accident. This was also why the anomaly, in spite of its rarity, had no value for breeders. Quite contrary to Shinies, Monochromes were regarded as blemish.

Ren couldn't understand why. Ghost was beautiful. But he was somewhat glad that, with all the Shiny hype going on, at least Monochromes were spared.

_‛Brrree?’_

A chirp interrupted Ren's thoughts. Ghost had sat down in front of him with his head tilted questioningly. Apparently, he had noticed Ren's mind wandering off. Either that, or the fact that Ren hadn't eaten anything of the last pizza slice yet. And Ghost loved pizza.

“I was just thinking”, Ren said and took a bite. Ghost stared at him in anticipation.

“You really just want the pizza, do you?”

_‛Breon.’_

“Fine.”

Ren tossed Ghost the slice, and the Umbreon caught it mid-air and shook it like freshly caught prey. Contentedly, he then ate up the pizza, and curiously looked back at Ren with cocked ears. Ren smiled and started walking. The gravel under his feet scrunched quietly as he made his way towards Altru Park, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, and he gazed at the stars every now and then. Night time was good for thinking. On the other hand, thinking wasn't always good. His future, his father, his place in life, those were the things that had been haunting him lately, but he had to put up with them nonetheless. He was nineteen years old, and technically, his opportunities were infinite. However, his father had plans. Plans that Ren didn't want to be a part of.

He hadn't ever wanted to please his father, nor did he seek his approval – he just wanted to get by. But at the same time, he wanted more than that. He needed a challenge, a task. Like taking care of Ghost. But that wasn't something that would get money on his bank account. On the contrary.

“Oh, Ghost. I really don't wanna go back to university”, he murmured. It was the truth. Pokéball mechanics, an interesting subject for sure, but nothing he identified with. He had never struggled with physics, and he knew he would make it to his final degree without putting too much effort into it. But he hated how his father hadn't even left him a choice. To Hall, it was only natural that his son would work for Altru Inc., and Ren was intelligent. However, he was fed up as well. His thoughts had been circling around breaking away. But where should he go? He had no relatives he knew of. His grandparents were dead, his father had no siblings, and his mother was _somewhere_.

Ren didn't even remember his mother. All he knew was that she had disowned him and that he had ended up alone with his father a long time ago. He had always been quiet, never talking much, never reaching out to people. What for? People couldn't be trusted. That was one thing he knew for sure.

_‛Breee.’_

Ghost rubbed his head against Ren's leg as if to cheer him up. They had reached the park, streetlamps were illuminating the empty lanes and flower beds. Ghost ran ahead and picked up a maple leaf he saw lying on the ground, then proudly carried it back to Ren. The Umbreon loved playing with leaves, and gifting one to Ren was his way of making sure that Ren would stop being sad. The boy smiled again, he couldn't stop himself. It was such a pure gesture.

“Thanks”, he said. “But you know I can't keep all the leaves in my room.”

 

\-----

 

I was lying in bed, Eevee had curled up in his basket and fallen asleep. My bed lamp flickered from time to time. I stared at the ceiling, not tired enough to sleep just yet, thoughts rushing through my mind like in a shaken snow globe. It had been quite an eventful day, but what kept me awake was the letter. I felt somewhat uneasy, and even though Shino had been so confident in my acceptance, doubts had started to creep in. I didn't know if they were justified, I just knew that I wanted to go to Kanto with all my heart. And I knew that I didn't want to disappoint my parents.

A part of me was a bit envious of Shino, things were turning out great for him, yet I was still stuck in my parents' home, going to school everyday like I always had. Of course, when it came to breeding, anatomy and medicine, I was the one with more experience, but Shino had been to so many places, met so many people, it wasn't something you would gain from reading books. Then again, I wasn't even keen on leaving home. I was more of a down-to-earth kind of person, and the thought of traveling, especially alone, scared me a bit.

I sighed, and turned on my side. Just when I was about to turn off the light, I heard a quiet knock on my door, and my mother entered.

“Caroline, next time your dad wants you to tell me something, don't just leave me a note. You know I don't always check the kitchen when I get home.”

I sighed again, more quietly this time, I really didn't need my mother's scoldings right now.

“Sorry, I was kind of in a hurry.”

“It doesn't matter if you were in a hurry or not”, my mother replied strictly. “If one of the pups had been on a drip –”

“I wouldn't have left if one of the pups had been on a drip”, I cut her off. “I'm not stupid.”

“Caroline, I really hope you'll manage on your own.”

I knew it was just her way of worrying, of making sure everything was organized well, but at the moment, my mother simply made me feel bad. My parents would both be away for a weekend soon, to attend a breeders meeting in Luminose City in Kalos. I was supposed to take care of the farm during that time. It was the first time that I would be left alone with the Eevees for longer than just a few hours – not that I doubted I could handle it – but my mother had been pointing out every small mistake I made. It bugged me.

“I _will_ manage”, I answered firmly.

My mother gave me a questioning look, seemingly surprised by my almost aggressive reply.

“Is something the matter?”, she asked. “Any news from Celadon?”

“Kind of”, I said. “Just a letter stating that they received my application.” After a short pause, I added, “I don't want to wait for three months …”

“The processing times are long nowadays, that's true.”

“Hm.”

Uncomfortable silence reigned my room for a while. While I did have the urge to talk about my doubts, I knew that my mother wasn't the right person to turn to. Things had to turn out the way they should, or else, it was due to personal failure – that was her point of view, at least.

“It'll be okay.” She sounded convinced, but to me, it was just another empty phrase. I nodded in response, and my mother left the room after saying good night. I turned off my lamp, and curled up under the covers, but sleep wouldn't come for a long time.

 


End file.
